Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for December 19, 2011 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- Perfect symmetry. The Green Bay Packers lose their first game of the season 19-14 to Kansas City while the Indianapolis Colts win their first game 27-13 over Tennessee.
- The Patriots clinch the AFC East and bring Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos back to earth, 41-23.
- The Knicks and guard Baron Davis reportedly have a deal. Davis is recovering from a back injury.
- Hey Jersey people, you get annoyed when the Jets and Giants are referred to as "New York teams." After yesterday, they're all yours!
2. Get Out of Jail Free Card
Barry Bonds will not spend time behind bars for obstruction of justice. Count that as a loss for the government, an expensive one. The same day, getting lesser headlines, Canadian doctor Anthony Galea also skated from jail for bringing illegal drugs into the U.S. to treat athletes. So we'll probably never know his connection to Tiger Woods and Alex Rodriguez. The two cases taken together seem to tell us that the media cares more about performance enhancing drugs than the court system. If the jury consisted of sportswriters, the defendants would fry. But sportswriters will have the last word on Bonds when it comes to the Hall of Fame. He's not getting in so fast, if at all. So we'll all get to read about this issue for years to come, even if the courts don't really want to hear about it.
3. Fore!
The golf world is mourning the loss of Korean dictator Kim Jong Il. He routinely would shoot three or four holes-in-one per round. That's what the state-run media reported, so it had to be true. Golf is a game of honor.
4. I Coulda Been a Contender
You have to love Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni getting all Rex Ryan and calling the Knicks a serious contender. They've gone a decade without a playoff appearance. But hey, it's a new shortened season. Maybe we can save the city some money and stage that joint Jets/Knicks championship parade?
5. I'd Like to Thank...
In case you missed SNL Saturday night, Jesus himself came to visit Tim Tebow. He had a simple message, basically "I can't do it by myself every week, you guys gotta play better."
I'm not a theologian but after yesterday the big guy proved he knows what he's talking about.
Happy Birthday: The great Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Al Kaline. 77.
Bonus Birthday: Actor Jake Gyllenhaal. 31.
Today in Sports: The NHL played its first games with 5 teams in the league, all in Canada. 1917.
Bonus Event: America's first suspension bridge opened, the Williamsburg Bridge. 1903.
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